Utility Closet Boarding
by miekhead
Summary: Fic set immediately after episode 6x08 - Frankie begins to wonder whether he did the right thing with his sister's housing situation after observing Maura and Jane's behaviour the day Jane moves in. Rizzles.


So last weeks episode fuelled me to write a little fic based on what happened after the episode. Spoilers of course of 6x08's Nice To Meet You, Dr. Isles. Let me know what you think. I hope this will be a three parter.

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The search for Frankie's secret drawer didn't last long and if Jane was being true to herself, she was glad that her younger brother had managed to kick the drawer shut as soon as her fingers pulled at the handle. She didn't need to see what was in there - she just wanted to see him squirm.

Jane licked her lips and treasured the feeling of ice cold beer hitting her tongue. She smiled easily, imagining steam rising from her brother's forehead if her treasure hunt had been successful. Her eyes drifted towards Maura whose legs were curled up on the couch, their thighs almost touching as they sat opposite each other. Maura's eyes seemed perpetually sad as she nursed at a glass of red wine and only brightened when her friend would make a joke every few minutes. Jane's hand reached out and gave Maura's hand a squeeze. Maura's fingers squeezed back.

Frankie had been looking halfheartedly at the television, flicking between a womens' water polo game and a gameshow only suitable for the very stupid. He inwardly groaned at the diabolical contestants and flicked the channel over again. Rolling his head back dramatically, Frankie then glanced at his sister. He spotted Jane's hand grasping Maura's, then observed closely as Jane let go and took another swig of her beer. He wasn't blind - something was obviously making Maura upset and if there was anybody who could make her feel better it was his sister. He froze as he was about to take a sip of his beer as a sudden wave of guilt hit him in the gut. He looked at the pain in Maura's eyes and reflected on his recent behaviour. Maybe it would have been best for Jane to move in with Maura. He watched their faces intently and felt the love between them bouncing across the room with a restless yet innocent energy.

Maura's feet shifted from under herself and her legs moved easily into her best friend's lap. Jane let out a glimmer of a smile and placed her hands over the woman's knees. Both sighed softly at the connection and that was enough for Frankie to quickly interrupt. He picked up the remote and started up Netflix. "Let's watch a movie."

"Something light, alright? Nothing too mushy," Jane waved her beer at him. She rubbed Maura's knee and took a swig of her beer. Her brother's eyes rolled but he nodded slowly and threw a concerned look towards Maura.

They settled on Bridesmaids, and all three of them laughed easily at the slapstick antics of Kristen Wiig and her costars. This fuelled a Melissa McCarthy marathon and next up was The Heat. "Hey," Frankie grinned, "They're kinda like you two."

Jane's only answer was a spectacularly raised eyebrow. And Maura's response was nothing, as the woman had been dozing for the last few minutes. "Okay firstly," Jane grumbled, "no, and secondly...no!" She chuckled despite herself, "Okay, maybe a little. But only when we argue. Right, Maur?" She turned her head to the sleeping woman. "Right..." She snorted when she noticed the closed eyes and the deep breathing.

"She okay?" Frankie asked in his trying-but-failing-to-be-subtle tone. "She seems... sad."

Jane shrugged nonchalantly in the hopes that the conversation she was dreading wouldn't start. "She's alright... she's had a hard day." Her fingers swirled around Maura's knee tenderly. Frankie didn't need any more details and nodded, then turned his attention back to the television.

They continued to watch in companionable silence and when the movie finished, Frankie switched off the TV. "I'm hitting the hay," He stretched and grunted, then shuffled awkwardly over to Jane and kissed the top of her head. Maura had curled up on the couch and was leaning towards Jane and though they weren't even touching, it looked intimate enough for Frankie to feel he was imposing. "Thanks, Jane. You didn't have to do this, move here and... I'm sorry."

Jane quirked her eyebrow and grinned. "For what? How many of those beers have you had?"

Frankie shrugged, "For moving here just so I wasn't living with Ma. You didn't have to agree, I mean you did just lose your apartment."

His sister rolled her shoulders and she felt her breathing quicken as Maura seemed to snuggle closer. "Hey, this works, right?" She watched her brother look increasingly uncomfortable. "Look, Frankie," she stopped to try and find the right words, then sighed. "I'll find another place soon. It won't be home, exactly, not like my apartment or Maura's, but it's best to start somewhere." She drained her beer, pulling away from Maura and then rubbed her face. "I'll be outta your hair in no time."

"Hey, hey," Frankie kept his voice low, shaking his head. "No pressure. I'm happy you're here. Just... no more snooping." He winked and waved her goodnight, then left the room. The last remaining detective sighed, and lay her head back against the couch. She took a peek at her friend who was sleeping soundly despite the worry lines etched in her brow. Closing her own eyes, Jane decided to rest for a few moments. Her thoughts drifted and before she knew it, sleep took her quickly.

3am. Maura blinked with heavy eyes and attempted to refocus her bleary vision towards the clock on the wall. She had been startled awake when a chime sounded from the clock in Frankie's living room... correction: Frankie and Jane's living room. That was going to take her a while to get used to. A downwards look at herself caused her to realize she was practically sleeping on top of Jane and she nimbly extracted herself from her position and the situation simultaneously. She stood up and straightened her work pants and tucked her blouse back in. One button had come undone, and she redid it with hesitant fingers that still felt numb from sleep. Maura turned and cast her eyes to Jane who slept with a fist tucked under her neck. She had a perpetual frown when she slept and Maura had only seen her sleep with a smile when she had been truly relaxed. At her own house. Maura's eyes closed briefly and she took a moment for her feelings to settle and the pain in her chest to dwindle. She grasped her leather jacket and slipped into it, then turned to Jane. Hesitantly, she bent over her and pressed her lips to the sleeping woman's forehead. The kiss lingered, and then Maura pulled back and tucked a stray black lock behind Jane's ear. "We would have been happy," she whispered to herself more than anything. "At my house. But this works." She stood up straight and zipped up her jacket, then left the apartment without a look back.

As the door clicked shut, Jane's left eye opened, and her hand reached up to touch the spot on her forehead where she'd been kissed. She frowned sleepily, and swallowed the lump in her throat. Confusion roiled through her mind and she tried to shrug it off by getting up and stretching. She would ring Maura in the morning, she promised herself as she headed towards her bedroom. When her head finally hit the pillow, and her body relaxed in its exhausted state, a bittersweet smile graced her lips. She nuzzled the pillow under her head and soon slipped into a dream filled sleep.

TBC?


End file.
